Inspiration to Installation

Awty International School

Cambridge provided a turn-key solution by providing both the mesh and attachment pieces which made it easy for us to keep a consistent, elegant look without having to bring several trades into the installation.- Cope Bailey, Vice President, Designer, Bailey Architects, Inc.

Location: Houston, Texas, United States

Year Completed: 2012

End Use: Academic, Parking Garage

Architect: Bailey Architects, Inc.

Engineer: Haynes Whaley Associates

General Contractor: Ellipse Builders

Owner: The Awty International School

Application

One of the country´s premier private international schools, the Awty International School’s parking facility presents a modern twist on parkade architecture. Cambridge architectural Mid-Balance mesh pattern create panels of metal that are as interesting as they are functional, and the design represents both the tradition of the school of innovation as well as the new constriction that is taking place throughout campus.

The five-story, 174,000 square foot parking garage the created 440 new parking spaces for faculty, staff, students, and visitors as well as provided office and storage space for the Maintenance and Facilities Department. The new parking building is in conjunction with a supports Awty's response to a growing student body and top academic learning. The building is designed to achieve LEED Certification from the USGBC LEED for Schools program.

Function

External screen panels of the Mid-Balance patterned system adds unique design and aesthetic appeal to a modern parking garage, while also facilitating both protection from harsh sunlight and allowing air flow, without obstructing views of campus. The chosen pattern allows it to cover but not close off open areas of the building. The result is a dynamic exterior cladding that maximizes views and functions as a protective barrier for occupants of the garage.

Benefit

The Awty Parking Garage mesh system utilizes the Eclipse™ self-tensioning attachment hardware system to install the Mid-Balance product. This clearly articulated assembly provides tailored edges for expanses of flexible metal fabric while providing an elegant, custom structural support design to the parkade’s facade. The Cambridge Team developed an ideal system to implement a visual enhancement for the project team, specifically engineering the system to the building's exterior to assure a streamlined installation.

Cambridge Architectural is an active member of the USGBC®, and helps architects take maximum advantage of LEED credit through the many categories in which architectural mesh systems apply.